Rear brake bee hive springs?

[laneychief]

Hi guys, just changing the cylinders on my rear brakes, and came across the bee hive springs

I've read in other threads they aren't needed and just sling them

My question is why aren't they needed and what were they for, just so I can tell my old man
When he asks why have I binned this bit....



Thanks

[mike.perry]

The beehive springs help to keep the brake shoes in place but mostly they manage without them. Throwing them away is a bit drastic, mine are in my brake spares tin just in case the shoes decide that they are going to move sideways and rub on the side of the brake drum

[laneychief]

Cool thank you.


Any tips on getting rear brake shoes on? I am having real trouble getting the return springs
to stretch!

[mike.perry]

Fit the top shoe in position with the bottom shoe hanging on the sprngs. Locate the front of the bottom shoe in the slot in the piston then lever the back of the shoe into the back slot with a screwdriver.
After you have tried this for half an hour and have stabbed your hand several times try kicking the hubcaps

[laneychief]

Hahaha thanks!

It worked, yes I stabbed my hand, yes I kicked the car!


Cheers!

[les]

When he asks why you have dumped them----tell him you always believe what you read!!
Patience, or rather the lack of it, is the reason some people don't fit them as it' can be a bit of a fiddle.

[mike.perry]

Another satisfied customer! We should have him stuffed (Faulty Towers)

[David53]

Fawlty Towers.....

[Pikey]

Got to be honest, Ive not had a problem fitting the bee hive springs. Ive recently rebuilt the rear brakes on the pickup and Ive removed and replaced those springs a few times on the n/s/r due to me finding out that the wheel cylinder has seized out, when I couldnt get the brake drum back on.

I find that a set of needle nosed pilers clamped/held onto the straight/hooked bit that goes down the centre of actual bee hive coil spring and compressing the whole spring whilst turning it, it usually works for me. Perhaps removing the half shaft allows a bit more access to the springs, but other than that use needle nosed pilers.

I personally wouldnt recommend reassembling rear shoes without the bee hive springs. BMC put them in for a reason and newer modren cars with drum rear brakes, also use a similar type of brake shoe steady. They hold the shoes onto the backplate.

Cheers

Steve

[kennatt]

if your struggling to get the bee hives on simply drill through the backplate and fit the other type of retainer with the peg spring and collet as found on most other cars.I had a stock of them and no bee hives so thats what I did.Been like that for 20years or so.